About Braces and Orthodontic Appliances

East Coast Orthodontics Orthodontic Mould

There is a long standing stereotype that braces are big bold and ugly! While this may have been the case years ago, there have since been many advancements in orthodontic treatment which have left us with attractive, noninvasive, discrete and beautiful orthodontic products. The following is a brief summary of the different types of braces available to you (depending on your treatment).

Metal Braces

Metal braces are the most well known type of brace.
Brackets are attached to the outside of the teeth and they are linked together by wires. Over time, the wires shift the teeth in the correct direction.

They can come in all sorts of different colours and shades, and are the most commonly used type of appliance. They are also extremely tough and resilient. There are many varieties of bracket so please talk to us if you are interested in a certain type.

Clear Ceramic Braces

Ceramic braces are an alternative to metal braces and are made out of strong composite materials. They are less visible than metal braces (they have a tooth-like colour) and look extremely natural

Clear Aligners

Aligners are a relatively new treatment option that removes the need to attach braces or brackets to the teeth. Impressions and moulds of your teeth are taken, and a custom 3d model is created of your bite. A set of see through-plastic aligners (similar to a very thin gum shield) are constructed. These aligners can be easily removed and they are adjusted every four weeks.

Unfortunately, this type of treatment is not suitable for every patient, but please ask Dr. Griffin to see if you can avail of it.

Lingual Braces

This type of brace is similar to the standard metal braces treatment.
Instead of attaching the brackets to the front of the teeth, the brackets are applied to the back side of the teeth and are therefore not visible from the front.

Like clear aligners, this type of treatment is not available to every patient, but be sure to ask Dr. Griffin about it.

Retainers

Retainers are usually given to patients after they have had their braces removed, to retain teeth in their new position.
At first, they should be worn all day and all night. Eventually, this time will be reduced, but please follow any instructions the orthodontist gives you.

There are some rules associated with wearing a retainer, so please have a closer look at these instructions.